News

We have a 2 bedroom bungalow available for letting at our housing for older people scheme in Stokenchurch.  This property would suit a couple, where at least one person is aged over 60, or a single person aged over 60 requiring an overnight carer.

St Hughs Close is a sheltered housing scheme for the over 60’s, located in the heart of the village of Stokenchurch.  It has been designed to help residents live independently whilst offering security and peace of mind.  The purpose-built properties consist of 32 one and two-bedroom bungalows and two one-bedroom flats.  Each property is self-contained, with its own front door.

Our experienced Scheme Manager provides advice and support to residents during normal working hours.  There is also a 24 hour emergency telephone call alarm system enabling residents to stay safe and confident in their own home.  There is a common room where residents can interact, and there is a real sense of community at the scheme.  The weekly rent, including service charge, is £150.24.

If you are interested in renting this property or in joining our waiting list for St Hughs, please contact our Housing Management team on 01494 480340.

Please note, in addition to our normal weekend closures, our staff will not be working on the following dates:

• Early May Bank Holiday – Monday 2 May 2022
• Spring Bank Holiday – Thursday 2 June 2022
• Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday – Friday 3 June 2022

If you have an emergency repair, and our office is closed, you should still telephone the main office number 01494 480340.  You will be asked to select option 1 for heating or hot water repairs, or option 2 for any other emergency repair, and your call will be diverted to an emergency contractor.

This process should only be used if you have an emergency repair outside office hours and there is a danger to your health or wellbeing and/or there is a risk of serious damage to the property.  Please note you may be recharged if you call out a contractor on an emergency without good cause.

Genuine emergencies will include:

• serious flooding / leaks (where a bowl cannot be used for the drip)
• total electrical failure
• loss of mains water
• property no longer secure and / or water-tight
• no heating and/or hot water
• blocked toilet waste pipe (if the only toilet in the property)
• attending to broken glazing (if the security of the property is compromised)
• other health and safety risk.

The emergency service is a ‘make safe’ service, unless the contractor is able to resolve the fault there and then.

If you suspect a gas leak, please ring the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999, open doors and windows and leave the property.

For all other matters, please phone the office on 01494 480340, during normal office hours.

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has launched new guidance to help people manage changes to the cost of living. The focus is on people who have not yet missed payments on their bills or credit commitments, but who are at serious risk of doing so.

The guidance on its MoneyHelper website helps people manage their money in uncertain times. These resources and tools are aimed at people who:

• Are struggling to keep on top of their bills and payments
• Have experienced a reduction in income or squeezed budgets
• Are self-employed
• Have been or are worried about being made redundant or losing their job

Managing your money in uncertain times | MoneyHelper

We have all been horrified by the Russian invasion, and the plight of the Ukrainian refugees, and many of us have been wondering what we can do to help.

You may have heard that the Government has launched the Homes for Ukraine Scheme to enable people living in the UK to host Ukrainian individuals or families for six months.

The scheme is open to people living in social rented housing and to shared owners.  If you have space in your home and are thinking of registering to host someone through the scheme, please contact our Housing Team on 01494 480340 (select option 2) or via email – housing@bucksha.co.uk

We will need to provide our consent and ensure that the accommodation is appropriate.  We will also be able to help to connect people up to the support that is available.

A link to the Government’s most recent guidance and FAQs is provided below:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions

We have all seen what effects the weather can have on our homes, and with storms Dudley and Eunice hitting the UK, it’s a good idea to stay safe and protect your belongings.  This flier has been produced by Thistle Insurance Services and it provides some safety tips and advice to prevent flood damage, as well as information on the My Home Contents Insurance Scheme.

From 7 February 2022, we are making some changes to how we deliver parts of our repairs and maintenance service.

Changing contractors

MCP have been providing the majority of the repairs service, on our behalf, for the past year.  We have been monitoring the performance of MCP closely and there have been serious issues with their performance and delivery.  We have also taken your feedback into consideration.

Despite working closely with MCP to try to resolve the issues, we have now agreed with them that, from 7 February 2022, they will no longer provide the repairs and maintenance service for the Association.

Day to Day repairs – what will change?

The main change that you will notice is that we are moving from three repairs categories (Emergency, Urgent and Routine) to two (Emergency and Routine).

We aim to respond to repair requests within the following timescales:

• Emergencies – 24 hours to respond and make safe (the same as currently)
• Routine repairs – to be completed in an average of 17 working days

You should continue to report repairs as normal and the new priorities will be advised to you when you call in.  The full list of repairs by category is available here.

To ensure as smooth a transition as possible, we are working with a number of smaller, local contractors, some of whom will already be known to you.

Planned Programme

We have already engaged a new Contractor (Armina Ltd) to continue with the delivery of the Planned Programme (replacement kitchens, bathrooms, roofs etc.) and we will be contacting affected tenants to discuss future installation dates.

Outstanding Repairs

We are working closely with MCP to ensure a smooth transition and with as little impact on you as possible.

If you have already reported a repair that you are waiting to have completed, you do not need to contact us. MCP will continue to deliver the service as normal up to and including the 4 February 2022.

We apologise for any inconvenience these changes may cause.  However, we are confident that the changes will allow us to provide you with better services, improved turnaround time, and, we hope, improved customer satisfaction.